Snow in January? Unusual Weather.

A surprise, quick moving burst of snow hit the greater Seaside Heights area on the afternoon of Sunday January 17th. At first it seemed like wet flurries, a but by nightfall, a blanket of snow covered the Borough.Will the January 17th storm go down as the “Blizzard of 2016”? Maybe.

Forecast predictions from Accuweather and NOAA say that the rest of the winter of 2016 will be much like its first month: wetter and warmer than normal. In terms of climate, This part of the year, January 20-February 1, is the coldest we can expect. However this year, the temperatures and conditions have been quite mild, above normal, and some days we might have even forgotten our coat. Accuweather has it so mild through the beginning of February, that the lowest temperature they show is one nighttime drop to 23 degrees. So much for the idea that every winter was going to be a “Polar Vortex” as we were being told to believe in 2014 & 2015. Blame El Nino, the strongest on record, a warming of Pacific Ocean water capable of bringing unusual weather to the United States.

In terms of weather forecasters, Spring arrives on March 1st, and then officially speaking, the actual day is Sunday March 20th, Palm Sunday, two months and three days away.